she did. Later she thought that at that moment she’d been the happiest person on earth. What she’d not told Alix was how, later, her wedding plans had all fallen apart. When others began to get involved, Izzy had tried her best to be firmabout what she wanted for her wedding, but her future mother-in-law said, “I can see that you’re going to be one of those bridezillas like they have on TV. We aren’t being filmed, are we?”
Izzy looked across at Alix. “I don’t want to be a bridezilla.”
“You mean one of those spoiled prima donnas who makes everyone’s lives hell?”
Izzy nodded.
“That’s as far from you as could be. Izzy, who put this idea in your head?” Alix filled her friend’s glass again.
“Glenn and I just want a quiet wedding. Small. Maybe a barbecue. The dress from your mother is the only extravagance I want. It’s so beautiful and …” Again, tears started flowing.
“It’s a mother, isn’t it?” Alix said. “If there’s one thing I know about, it’s mothers. Well-meaning, but they can eat you for breakfast.”
Nodding, Izzy took a deep drink and held up two fingers.
“I take it that means two mothers?”
Again Izzy nodded.
Alix poured herself another rum and Coke. “Tell me everything.”
It all tumbled out. Alix knew that Izzy was the only girl in her family, but she hadn’t known that Izzy’s parents had eloped. “My mother used to play with bride paper dolls, but then she got pregnant with my brother, and she and my dad ran off together.”
“So now she wants you to have the wedding she didn’t have,” Alix said.
Izzy grimaced. “But she isn’t even the only problem.”
Alix knew that Glenn was an only child and that his parents had money, but that’s all. “What’s his mother like?”
Izzy clenched her teeth. “She’s an avalanche of granite blocks that destroys anyone who stands between her and whatever she wants. And what she wants now is for me to have a lavish wedding that will impress all her friends. She has a guest list of over four hundred people. Glenn knows only six of them and I’ve never met any of them.”
“Izzy, this is serious, and why haven’t you told me about any of this?” Alix asked.
“It just happened, then you and Eric …”
Alix put up her hand. “And I was wallowing in my own misery and didn’t see what you were going through. Listen, tomorrow I’m going back with you to help straighten this out.”
“No,” Izzy said, “you can’t do that. I feel in my heart that all this was arranged so you could meet Montgomery and show him your work. I can’t imagine what your mother had to do to get you this house for a year. You can’t throw something like this away just for some wedding.”
As Alix finished her drink, she looked around at the beautiful garden. It was growing cooler and they’d have to go inside soon. “Why do you have to leave in the morning?”
“Glenn’s mother has arrived, and she wants to show me some bridesmaids’ dresses. Glenn said they have ruffles all over them and that she’s brought in two cousins who are to be in the wedding.”
“Flower girls?” There was hope in Alix’s voice.
“I wish. They’re thirty-eight and thirty-nine, and mean. And everyone hates my date of the twenty-fifth of August.”
Absently, Alix handed Izzy a plate of food. For a while they ate in silence. Alix was thinking of all the times she’d had to be strong to keep her mother from steamrolling over her. “So,” Alix said, “I can’t leave here and you can’t stay.”
“That’s about it,” Izzy said. The drinks had given her the ability to smile. “You should have seen Glenn’s mother’s face when I told her I’d already bought my wedding dress. She turned a lovely shade of purple. I wanted to hold a fabric sample up to her cheek and see if I could match it.”
Alix gave a laugh. “Did you tell her my mother paid for the gown?”
“Oh, yes,” Izzy said, then filled her mouth with
Izzy looked across at Alix. “I don’t want to be a bridezilla.”
“You mean one of those spoiled prima donnas who makes everyone’s lives hell?”
Izzy nodded.
“That’s as far from you as could be. Izzy, who put this idea in your head?” Alix filled her friend’s glass again.
“Glenn and I just want a quiet wedding. Small. Maybe a barbecue. The dress from your mother is the only extravagance I want. It’s so beautiful and …” Again, tears started flowing.
“It’s a mother, isn’t it?” Alix said. “If there’s one thing I know about, it’s mothers. Well-meaning, but they can eat you for breakfast.”
Nodding, Izzy took a deep drink and held up two fingers.
“I take it that means two mothers?”
Again Izzy nodded.
Alix poured herself another rum and Coke. “Tell me everything.”
It all tumbled out. Alix knew that Izzy was the only girl in her family, but she hadn’t known that Izzy’s parents had eloped. “My mother used to play with bride paper dolls, but then she got pregnant with my brother, and she and my dad ran off together.”
“So now she wants you to have the wedding she didn’t have,” Alix said.
Izzy grimaced. “But she isn’t even the only problem.”
Alix knew that Glenn was an only child and that his parents had money, but that’s all. “What’s his mother like?”
Izzy clenched her teeth. “She’s an avalanche of granite blocks that destroys anyone who stands between her and whatever she wants. And what she wants now is for me to have a lavish wedding that will impress all her friends. She has a guest list of over four hundred people. Glenn knows only six of them and I’ve never met any of them.”
“Izzy, this is serious, and why haven’t you told me about any of this?” Alix asked.
“It just happened, then you and Eric …”
Alix put up her hand. “And I was wallowing in my own misery and didn’t see what you were going through. Listen, tomorrow I’m going back with you to help straighten this out.”
“No,” Izzy said, “you can’t do that. I feel in my heart that all this was arranged so you could meet Montgomery and show him your work. I can’t imagine what your mother had to do to get you this house for a year. You can’t throw something like this away just for some wedding.”
As Alix finished her drink, she looked around at the beautiful garden. It was growing cooler and they’d have to go inside soon. “Why do you have to leave in the morning?”
“Glenn’s mother has arrived, and she wants to show me some bridesmaids’ dresses. Glenn said they have ruffles all over them and that she’s brought in two cousins who are to be in the wedding.”
“Flower girls?” There was hope in Alix’s voice.
“I wish. They’re thirty-eight and thirty-nine, and mean. And everyone hates my date of the twenty-fifth of August.”
Absently, Alix handed Izzy a plate of food. For a while they ate in silence. Alix was thinking of all the times she’d had to be strong to keep her mother from steamrolling over her. “So,” Alix said, “I can’t leave here and you can’t stay.”
“That’s about it,” Izzy said. The drinks had given her the ability to smile. “You should have seen Glenn’s mother’s face when I told her I’d already bought my wedding dress. She turned a lovely shade of purple. I wanted to hold a fabric sample up to her cheek and see if I could match it.”
Alix gave a laugh. “Did you tell her my mother paid for the gown?”
“Oh, yes,” Izzy said, then filled her mouth with
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